Lubomir Arsov’s ‘In-Shadow: A Modern Odyssey’

A short film, written and directed by story artist Lubomir Arsov, recently began to make waves through the Internet. This intriguing animation provides a sobering look at Western capitalism through a combination of dark satire and symbolism. Its description reads:

“Embark on a visionary journey through the fragmented unconscious of the West, and with courage face the Shadow. From Shadow into Light.”

Accompanied only with a melodic tune by Starward Projections, the film allows room for personal interpretations, all of which lead to the same conclusion. While the meaning of many scenes are starkly clear, other scenes may be hard for some to construe. We decided to analyze this fascinating film’s message further, as its journey ends with awakening and enlightenment.

From the film’s onset, we are greeted with images of our own misery. We work cramped among each other in menial jobs that provide no fulfillment.

Source: YouTube

But this is necessary if we are to afford our crushing house payments, and you can’t keep the vehicle you so desperately need to get to work if you can’t pay back your loan. We work tirelessly and without thought until we are empty, blissfully unaware that we’ve been blinded into believing this system is necessary.

Source: YouTube

We are given a false sense of happiness from over-indulgences of materialism and superficiality that exemplify mankind’s worst characteristics. And so, we each wear our masks, performing for one another on life’s stage in an effort to convince ourselves that everything is okay. Meanwhile, we feed this false sense of happiness by numbing ourselves with drugs and alcohol.

Source: YouTube

From birth, we are injected with chemicals. Our government-mandated educational system drains our children’s creativity, while adhering to a strict curriculum that prizes obedience and conformity over knowledge. This educational system, which is based on obedience and conformity, produces a population of people who are easily manipulated by the ruling class. In the end, it is the people who pay the price for this manipulation, while the ruling class profit from the destruction they’ve caused.

Source: YouTube

At the sacrifice of their own people, our elected officials have gained massive wealth from the corporations who profit from war and lobby to keep it going. But with the help of the mainstream media, these elected officials are portrayed as saviors. In truth, they are puppets of the grotesquely rich, those referred to as the “elite.”

Source: YouTube

We are kept distracted from these facts with Earthly pleasures that cater to mankind’s darkest nature. In the process, those within the entertainment industry are used, exploited, and abused.

Source: YouTube

Hollywood is under the same control as our politicians and the mainstream media. The film industry helps to distract us further with sex, violence, and materialism. Movies romanticize life, leading to a false sense of reality in which people actually believe that good naturally overcomes evil with little to no effort on their behalf.

Source: YouTube

We’ve become a society obsessed with social media. As part of this obsession, we falsely portray ourselves to the world, while at the same time ridiculing one another.

Source: YouTube

Those within the fashion industry set unrealistic and unhealthy standards for young women. Meanwhile, society suffers from obesity.

Source: YouTube

Mass consumerism leads us to destroy nature in horrendous ways to feed our gluttonous hunger. We even genetically modify and inject our crops with chemicals and preservatives. We are becoming sick from the chemicals that infest our bodies, and with the help of corrupt politicians, Big Pharma can always be trusted to provide us with expensive treatments rather than cures.

Source: YouTube

To retain an advantage over their people and other nations, as well as for profits, governments are known to suppress technological advancements. Our most ingenious minds are silenced, while the mainstream science community releases information to the public that has been filtered, censored, or otherwise manipulated.

Source: YouTube

The government pulls the strings of our corrupt system, producing mass profits off everything: from the ‘War on Terror’ to manufactured drug epidemics. When looking at the big picture, it has all the appearance of a massive money laundering scheme. Those who are brave enough to step forward and blow the whistle on this corrupt system are imprisoned for their disobedience.

Source: YouTube

And we are all imprisoned by our own egos. It is our ego which creates our external enemies, causing us to hate one another. This hate is, in turn, fueled by the ruling-class. Now we blame each other when we are fucked by those in power, and many of those in power are among the vilest individuals within our society who belong not in government positions, but in prison.

Source: YouTube

Our corrupt capitalist system is built on the backs of the common man and maintained through war, all to benefit a small handful of people at the top. But this system, like so many before, will inevitably collapse, and likewise, those in power will collapse with it. Not even those at the very top of the pyramid are exempt.

Source: YouTube

But all is not lost. With the collapse of this old, corrupt system, comes an awakening. Mankind will finally be able to advance, and to continue evolving, allowing us to connect with our planet once more, and find our place in the universe.

Source: YouTube

“No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.” – Carl G. Jung